Anchor winch



Mareh 1, 1949 E. B. THoMAs ETAL ANCHOR WINCH Filed Jung 4, 194T Patented Mar. 1, 1949 ANCHOR WINCH Edgar B. Thomas and Charles W. Heineman, Connersville, Ind., assignors to Thomas and Heineman, Inc., Connersville, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application June 4, 1947, Serial No. 752,450 Claims. (01. 254-187) 1 This invention relates to an improved anchor winch designed for small boats.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved winch which will automatically lock when released by the user so that the anchor cable or rope will not reel out.

Another object of this invention is to provide a winch of this kind which upon movement of the locking means to released position will frictionally resist unwinding of the reel so that when the anchor strikes bottom the reel will immediately stopunwinding and thereby prevent kinking or snagging of the line.

i A further object of this invention is to provide a winch of this kind which is of simple construc-- tion so that it will not readily get out of order.

A further object of this invention is to provide a winch of this kind wherein the operator may regulate the braking pressure on the reel as the latter unwinds.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a detail side elevation, partly in vertical section, of an anchor winch constructed according to an embodiment of our invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral ||l designates generally a frame member of substantially U-shape which is formed. with vertically disposed legs H and I2, and a horizontal bight l3. The leg H is formed with a right angularly? outwardly extending member l4 terminating in anupstanding bearing l5. The leg I2 is substantially shorter in length than the leg II and is formed with a right angularly outwardly extending extension 6 with which an upright bearing member I! is formed.

A crankshaft generally designated as l3 has the shaft member l9 thereof journaled through the bearing members l5 and I1 and includes an L-shaped crank member having a handle 2| secured on the lower horizontal side 22 thereof.

'.Al1 angle shaped clamping bar generally designated as 23 is fixed to the frame In at an angle formed by the leg l2, and the right angle extension IS. The angle bar 23extendslfrom opposite r sides of the frame W, as shown in Figure 1, and the vertical side 24 thereof. constitutes a fixed clamping jaw which is adapted to engage at one side of a support 25, as shown in Figure 4.

The upper side 25 of the clamping bar 23 is horizontal and has fixed thereto an arched housing .21. The housing 21 on its inner end is formed with an L-shaped right angular flange 28 to the inner side of which is secured by fastening members 23, a U-shaped fixed brake band 30. A reel or winding drum 3| is loosely mounted on the shaft l9 and has one side thereof confronting the brake band 30 so that the reel 3| will be braked against rotationin an unwinding direction, as will be hereinafter described.

A spring 32 is disposed about the shaft 19, bearing at one end against a thrust washer 33 which engages one side of the reel 3|. The spring 32 engagesin a cup-shaped housing 34 formed with an annular flange 35, and the latter is keyed or pinned to the shaft I!) by means of a locking pin 36 formed with an inwardly projecting upper end 31 engaging through the flange 35, as shown in Figure 2.

The side of the reel or drum 3| opposite from the spring 32 is formed with a pair of clutch forming sockets or openings 38 within which a pin or other securing means 42 to the shaft l9.

- A toothed ratchet 43 is in the present instance formed integral with the hub or bushing 4| and engages within the housing 21. A U-shaped member 44 is fixed to the upper side of the extension l6 and has the upright legs thereof engaging on opposite sides of the ratchet wheel 43. The ratchet wheel 43 is loosely disposed between the legs of the U-shaped member 44 so that the ratchet wheel may have endwise movement with the'shaft l9 when the latter is moved to declutching position.

A spring-pressed pawl 45 is rockably mounted on a shaft or pin 46 engaging through the legs of the U-shaped member 44 and is constantly urged to ratchet engaging position by means of a spring 41. The horizontal upper side 26 of the angle clamping. member 23 is formed with a pair of barrels 48 within which one side 49 of an L- shaped adjustable clamping member 50 is adapted to loosely engage. The other side 5| of the clamping member 50 extends downwardly in parallel relation to the vertical side 24 of the angle member 23 and. has secured thereto a clamping jaw 52 confronting the vertical side or jaw 24 of the angle member 23.

The horizontal side 49 of the clamping member 50 is formed with threads 53 on which a wing nut 54 is threaded. In this manner the adjustable jaw 52 may be pressed against the supporting member 25 on the side of the latter opposite from engagement of the stationary or fixed jaw 24 therewith.

A cable or rope 55 is fixed at one end to the reel or drum 3| and is wound about the reel or drum 3|. A U-shaped cable guide 56 is fixed to the bight l3 of the frame ID with the cable or rope 55 engaging between the parallel legs of the rope guide 56 as shown in Figure 2.

In the use and operation of this winch, the cable or rope 55 is wound extended through the guide 56. When it is desired to drop the anchor, shaft I9 is moved endwise or to the right, as viewed in Figure 2. This endwise movement of the shaft |9 will move clutching pins 39 to released position so that the reel or drum 3| may freely rotate in an unwinding direction. However, at the time the clutch pins 35 are in declutching position relative to the pin openings or sockets 38 formed in the reel or drum 3|, spring 32 is placed under additional tension by compressing of this spring so that the reel or drum 3| will be spring tensioned against the brake band 30. This band being stationary, the reel or drum 3| will be frictionally held against free rotation, the brake band providing suflicient drag on the reel or drum 3| so that as soon as the anchor or weight strikes bottom, the reel or drum 3| will stop rotating. In this manner the cable or rope 55 will not be paid out unduly after the anchor strikes bottom. As soon as the anchor strikes bottom, shaft l9 may be released so that spring 32 will move clutching pins 39 inwardly toward the reel 3| and into the clutch sockets or openings 38. Inasmuch as the ratchet 43 is held against rotation in an unwinding direction by the spring-pressed pawl 45, as soon as the clutching pins 39 engage in the openings 38 the reel 3| will be locked against further unwinding.

The housing 34 is of such length that the inner end thereof may be disposed in contacting relation with respect to the washer 33 after the clutch is released so that any desired manual pressure may be placed on reel 3| to hold the latter in braking position with respect to the stationary brake band 30. The frictional contact between housing 34, and washer 33 with the hub of reel 3| will also provide an additional braking means which will positively hold reel 3| against rotation. At the time the clutch pins are in clutching position, spring 32 is substantially relaxed so that reel 3| may be freely rotated by the crankshaft IS in a winding direction.

We do not mean to confine ourselves to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

I 1. An anchor winch comprising a frame, a crankshaft rotatably carried by said frame, a reel rotatable on said shaft, correlated clutch means carried partly by said reel and partly by said crankshaft, a spring about said shaft bearing at brake means confronting the opposite from said spring whereby upon endwise about the reel 3|, being movement of said crankshaft to declutching position said reel will be spring urged endwise against said braking means, and pawl and ratchet means holding said crankshaft against turning in a reel unwinding direction.

2. An anchor winch comprising a substantially U-shaped frame, an angle shaped clamping bar fixed to one leg of said frame, a crankshaft journaled through both legs of said frame, a reel journaled on said shaft between the legs of said frame, correlated clutch means carried partly by said reel and partly by said shaft, a spring about said shaft bearing at one end against said reel, means securing the opposite end of said spring relative to said shaft, a brake band, means fixedly supporting said band relative to said frame in a position confronting the side of said reel opposite from said spring, endwise movement of said shaft to declutching position tensioning said spring against said reel whereby the latter will be springpressed against said brake maens, and pawl and ratchet means holding said crankshaft against rotation in a reel unwinding direction.

3. An anchor winch comprising a substantially U-shaped frame, an angle shaped clamping bar fixed to one leg of said frame, a pair of tubular barrels carried by said bar, a pair of L-shaped clamping members having one side thereof loosely engaging in said barrels and the other side thereof parallel with a side of said bar, a jaw carried by said other side of each of said clamping members confronting the other side of said bar, a crankshaft journaled through both legs of said frame, a reel journaled on said shaft between the legs of said frame, correlated clutch means carried partly by said reel and partly by said shaft, a spring about said shaft bearing at one end against said reel, means securing the opposite end of said spring relative to said shaft, a brake band, means fixedly supporting said band relative to said frame in a position confronting the side of said reel opposite from said spring, endwise movement of said shaft to declutching position tensioning said spring against said reel whereby be spring-pressed against said brake means, and pawl and ratchet means holding said crankshaft against rotation in a reel unwinding direction.

4. An anchor winch comprising a frame, a crankshaft rotatably carried by said frame, correlated clutch means carried by said shaft and reel, pawl and ratchet means holding said shaft against rotation in an unwinding direction, stationary brake means confronting one side of said reel and fixed relative to said frame, a spring about said shaft, and an abutment carried by said shaft against which one end of said spring enof said spring engaging against said reel whereby the latter will frictionally contact said brake means.

5. An anchor winch comprising a frame, a crankshaft rotatably carried by said frame, correlated clutch means carried by said shaft and reel, pawl and ratchet means holding said shaft against rotation in an unwinding direction, stationary brake means confronting one side of said reel when said spring is under maximum com- 10 pression to thereby provide increased braking force against said reel, and increased pressure of said reel against said brake means.

EDGAR B. THOMAS. CHARLES W. HEINEMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 54,558 Jones May 8, 1866 217,031 Weston July 1, 1879 ,437,681 Rathburn Dec. 5, 1922 2,009,356 De Seversky July 23, 1935 

